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Hope Springs Forth
Throughout the year, we have continued to celebrate the 90th anniversary of The Upper Room daily Read More
Andrew Garland Breeden (Tennessee) | Read Mark 7:14-15, 21-23
There’s a sense of urgency that comes across in these verses. In verse 14, Jesus is decidedly emphatic, saying to the crowd, “Listen to me . . . and understand.” I appreciate Jesus’ intensity. And I think it’s entirely appropriate. Jesus is shifting the focus away from rules and toward...
Dear God, thank you for the opportunities we have to show love to our neighbors. Help us never to miss a chance to serve others in your name. Amen.
The poetry of Song of Solomon is thick with romantic imagery, and most scholars agree that these lines mean what they say on the surface; they are written from the author to the beloved. Psalm 45 echoes the refrain of admiration and desire. Such desire is not wrong if it is awakened at the proper time, as the author of Song of Solomon says elsewhere. James argues that ethical living is done not in word but in deed. True religion is not putting on a show but displaying mercy and controlling the tongue. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus rebukes some of the religious leaders on this very account because they talk of obedience to God but do not live it out. What we say and what we do should match.
Read Song of Solomon 2:8-13. The narrative poetry of Song of Solomon invites us into scripture in a different way than other texts. How does God speak to you through this poetry?
Read Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9. How do your relationships honor the gift of love?
Read James 1:17-27. When do you find yourself as merely a “hearer” of the word and not a “doer”? What motivates you to act on God’s word?
Read Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. What human traditions or rituals do you tend to make too important?
Respond by posting a prayer.
